500.A15a3/466
The Department of State to the Italian Embassy
Memorandum
With reference to the memorandum from the Italian Embassy dated November 29, 1929, there is submitted the following answers to the Ambassador’s questions.
- (1)
- Yes. The discussions were on the basis that cruisers had a life of twenty years, destroyers sixteen years, and submarines thirteen years. There is no reason why other ages should not be considered by the conference. Those figures seem to be the result of general Navy opinion.
- (2)
- While the matter has not been particularly discussed, the smallest cruiser to be included in the classification is in the neighborhood of 4,000 tons. Such cruisers are all British and it is not the intention to build American cruisers so small nor that the British shall build other cruisers so small.
- (3)
- The matter has been talked about, but it seemed to be one fairly open to the consideration of the conference.
- (4)
- The matter has been talked about without agreement. The United States has expressed a desire to reduce battleship replacements to the minimum. Some discussion has been had as to whether those replacements should be in tonnage of units or units, but no determination has been arrived at. The suggestion of the elimination of units has been coupled with the suggestion that the life of existing units be lengthened.
Washington
, December
4, 1929.